Uighurs and Other Friends:
A Xinjiang Travel Experience - By John McHale
Xinjiang Province is in the far west of China, and is characterised
largely by vast deserts and awesome mountains. Within Xinjiang
lies Kashgar: an isolated oasis town which forms an important
crossroad between China, Pakistan and Central Asia. It was
stories of the famous Sunday market in Kashgar, where traders,
nomads and warriors from the surrounding areas converge, that
first attracted me to this area. Kashgar is also the starting
point for the Karakoram (Friendship) Highway into Pakistan
which is also a popular bicycle route for foreigners.
Like many others before me, I had planned to cycle the Highway
from Kashgar over the Border Pass to Pakistan, and then down
through the beautiful Hunza Valley. However, the theft of
my money and passports in Kashgar prevented me from doing
this. In spite of this inconvenience, I still had an amazing
trip towards the Pass and back, with unforgettable memories
of beautiful mountain scenery and the fascinating culture
of the minority peoples living there, notably the Uighurs.
Click on the thumbnail to view a larger photo. (Full
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Uighur Skull-cap, Kashgar
Market - One of the most distinguishing characteristics
of the Uighurs are the richly embroidered skull-caps worn by
the men. The Uighurs, like many of the people in Central Asia,
represent a transition from Han-Chinese to Eastern European.
The Sunday Market is the highlight of a visit to Kashgar, and
is wonderfully photogenic. |
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Melon-seller, Kashgar Market
- Another pleasant feature of Xinjiang is the abundance of sweet
melons - both red and yellow varieties are available. Particularly
famous is the Hami melon. A great way to quench your thirst
on a typically dry winter day while roaming the marketplace. |
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Sunset behind Mountains, Karakoram
Highway - This was the evening view outside the yurts that
I had elected to stay in on my return to Kashgar. I spent the
rest of the day admiring the surrounding mountains. Ultimately
I was rewarded with a spectacular sunset beyond the distant
sand dunes. After nightfall, I resigned myself to moving inside
the yurts. However, the yurts eventually proved to be too dirty
and noisy for my liking. In spite of the freezing temperatures
I ended up spending a comfortable night outside sleeping under
the stars. |
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Young & Old Uighurs, Kashgar
Market - The most interesting thing about the Sunday Market
is of course the people. Pictured is a young Uighur boy, with
perhaps his grand-father. Together they presented an interesting
contrast in ages. |
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Vegetable Market, Kashgar
- A typical street-scene on the approach to the Sunday Market.
There is also a very distinctive and elegant architectural style
to the buildings within Kashgar. |
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Uighur Barbeque, Kashgar
- Forget about being a vegetarian when you're in Kashgar. The
local kebabs here are amazing, along with Uighur spicy noodles. |
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Tashkurgan - The word
"Tashkurgan" means, simply enough, Stone Fortress.
These 600 year old ruins are now all that remains. Tashkurgan
is the last significant township before the China-Pakistan border.
Given that I had no passports at this stage and was unable to
make the border crossing, this was the furthest point along
the Highway I got to before returning to Kashgar. |
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Roadside Handyman, Kashgar
Market |
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Ghez Canyon, Karakoram Highway
- The Ghez Canyon is one of the major climbs along the Karakoram
Highway. Given that I was doing an out and return trip rather
than my original one-way plan, I'd made sure that I took the
bus up and then rode the bike back down, rather than vice versa.
The Highway in this area is constantly subject to erosion and
landslides. On a mountain bike this was fun, but on the way
down I saw several trucks having difficulty with this section,
including one with a broken axle. |
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Subash Plateau - A view
over the Subash Plateau with the Kongur Mountains beyond. It
was this final climb that had devastated me the previous night.
I returned to this point the following morning feeling very
cold and hungry, but at the same time exhilarated by the beautiful
surroundings. |
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Uighur Portrait, Kashgar
Market - Many of the older men dress the same and wear the
same characteristic beard, to the point that a lot of them are
indistinguishable. However, in each of them there also seems
a quiet sense of dignity. |
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Local Commuters, Subash Plateau
- Life is slow in this part of the world, and the locals remain
limited to mule and cart transportation. Given my lack of fitness,
and the effect of altitude, my pace on the bicycle hardly matched
theirs. |
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Locals on their way to Market,
Kashgar |
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Outskirts of Kashgar
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Uighur Girl, Kashgar Market - Surprisingly, many of
the young girls in the market place were willing, if not keen,
to have their photo taken. This one is dressed in typically
beautiful fashion.
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